The San Francisco call. [volume], August 11, 1907, Page 9, Image 9

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
WHO SHALL
BE HOSTESS
AT THE
WHITE
HOUSE?
AMERICAN freemen ere probably
going to have a hard time to
decide on .the right man for
presidency, for in the cluster of
candidates. Tart. Fairbanks. Hughes,
Knox, Bryan, Gray, Cannon and Daniel,
there Is so much . good material that
it la hard to know which to discard-
But If it is hard to discriminate be
tween the men how much more diffi
cult It 's to decide which of the.lr wives
is best suited to preside over the
TThlte House and be the first lady of
the land. '. A^'
Mrs. Taft, Mn?. ' Fairbanks, Mrs.
Hughes, Mrs. Knox, Mrs. Bryan, Mrs.
Gray, they are all magnificent women,
fine epecimens of the American wife,
who Is the most powerful helpmeet
eny man could have.
It Is significant of the part that
womatr plays In a man's progress that
excepting: Cannon, 'who is a bachelor,
every or.c or the prominently men- 1
tloned candidates is noted for the pos
session of a wife whose intelligence
and devotion '!'av€ helped his adv<nce.
Even if the ballot is denied to her,
woman thus has the satisfaction . of
knowing that she 'does much to equip
the various incumbents for the high
est place In the nation's counsels.
Mrs. Taft Is Domestic
Mrs. William H." Taft, wife of the
big secretary of war, who stands for
the Roosevelt policies, and is "conceded
to live something of a lead on the
other candidates, Is very domestic In
her taste*, and does not warm 1 ' up
much to the new woman idea. Her
stand on this vital question is best
•a-pressod in a recent remark she made
xriille detailing plans to . have 'l»er"
\u25a0 daughter enter Bryn Mam.
"My Idea, about the higher .educa
iicn of . TroK.an,** she said, "Is to make
them great In boul, as well as in in
tellect. It never seemed, tome that
if. ghould make them poor. Imitations
of r.cD. I am old fashioned enough
to think that woman is most attrac- \u25a0'
tive the more feminine she is.". •
Mrs. Taft is -girlish In- appearance,
frank and vivacious, but possessing all
the needed dignity and poise ; for a'
statesman's wife. She has a noted'
memory and is mistress of social
erta. , -ii
The Tafts have three children, Rbb
•rt Alphonse Taft, aged 19; Miss Helen*;
Her rod Taft, aged 2 6, and Charles Taft, ;
agedjlO. The la'tterMsiachum of the
president's son QucntiiV, *at' the .Force,
public school." I !\ V .".,''' V
Mrs. .Taft's; most, marked "taste Is for.
music She was for seyeri years. presl- ;
. dent of ' the \u25a0 Cincinnati : symphony./so-^
cietjv - „•, '.i :; - • \u25a0 T---i ':;'.;-/,
Since "lndorecraentt by: \u25a0 the Penri
eylvahia/- state V* convention. *
C' 'Kriojt ' has ." come "prominently -to
the fore as perhaps' Mr! Taft's moat im
portant rival" 1 . for the republican' npml-*
nation. «Mr. Kddx has'tlCe .reputation' of \u25a0'
conservatism* 'and v riot! being 4 v out^-cf
favor, with the natlon's.big financial; In*-:
tefests despite; the part' h^ took 1 in the
trust . prosecutions^ of .'the Roosevelt' ad- .
ministration, , will get • strong support 1
from ; those * who • oppose "Mr." Roosevelt's :
radical policies, I and- it 'J Is.; not "f outYof
question that! eozrie 'day* if rs..- Philander
C. Knox- may be the *lady 'of : tlie * White
House. 1 \ : '\u25a0'\u25a0'\u25a0: " - r . ,'\u25a0'.,"* ,
Should' this ;ever .come ;*bout We will
bring unusual quailflcations'to iix»' taskl'
Benator ; and Mrs!. Knox 'know, how : to
enjoy- the J good .things . of v life, and 'they
have \u25a0 had ; them to; repletion. , vThe . • sen -
; a tor ' is _.i 'credited- •«riUi4 ppssessinar*; th«"
;toeit;libfar7jin^Waahteston';^he':tLas>';
; pair * off $20,000 -trotters.- '- The- yilley
"Vorge [home i and v ( Washington! residence-T
|of j the If orm«r attorney- general ;are >pa- v
•' ; Senator.' and*Mrs.^Knox-are «n» of -.the 111 1
youngest r looking ; couples In Jiiblia .; llf e, '
' a^d'jokes; about 'their 7 Juvenile -appjear-;, 1
:' ance^are^pleiity. \u25a0'\u25a0 Mrs^Knox j is -short Mn I ;
stature, :• but-> as Iheri; distinguished' hui- Ij
. band !1b only; flve /feet ,seyen"iDches, tall, ,'
y they..? make *f ah.-* excellently;; matched- ,
.couple, j. '.-:•.: :'. \u25a0-..'.',, : '^i: ~;£ ''^S,'_ *-'2A';\ ' .l'
'" :" There 'rare; four '^Knbx^ ; children,"? Mrs.' ;
James ; - Tlndle, f Re'ed'; Knox,' Hugh Knox .
jr..'.' ' '\u25a0 - " -\ -
V - 'y'M-is. -SKhox « is ,i"the /daughter -' O f yAn-r '
Cji Smith joffAiregheny,^ and^spent "•;
ithe> greater ipart (of before. gp-.-i
I lng^to jWashijigtbn*;in--' the." environs ; of >• ;
I Pittsburgh, \u25a0 Shaawlll! make an adm trablo '•
•. fiucc.es3qrrtOj'Mrs.fß6osev el t* should J the
\u25a0 r "cJiancesrot;fate < puJt*Knox > 'ib;'the*strenu-' '
:.*^^r
•^\u25a0"•'Theiwffe- of iVTce^ President Fair bankst \u25a0
*-t romSther^ prominent I connection^ with u
Vjtl^h,'i"whoS6'ipresident i 'generaUsh"e«has*i
fjbeanif pr^ several? terms: : ?. ; - -.> • v .-- *££?\u25a0;• \\
i • rltjgls-f said V that jMf s. anl-V
;. go f ihtp/the ; WhfJteVHous e^f ;br";she >is'J
] society; and' wwijid^flndSa":
\u25barcongenlal/fleldfln*the'-actlTltiesfofithe*
ft^Vhfte'. House.'^ >.^V^ *^"i? '^y-^ [.. -riv> - *
' **But Awhile *Mrs.vFalrßanksj;has: been 111 1
'.ideh.tifle^w'jWith^-advajiced'trnioyeine'ntst::
i #C*her ; Bex,lit',mustJ not ; be thought^that >
VsjbeJhMslostiany^f|the''gentlerVtraltV.»r
\u25a0,Blie^lsnoyally I "devoted*to,her^husbana,' '
's and : has . e v«r,\be»n his • aldT;Tlt";is > said *>'
: 4udgment^
x ls *2 so great '\u25a0 that \ : before 'a**
% speech"^ to^j the fsenatsihe first rmakesiit 2
1 a;'pQlhtito>read fit; to?her. l,lt jthe'^verdict |
Slsjs sat! Wactory^ he-* always :• deUy ers ? the 3 ,
i* speeclx v.wlthNjtne.i confidence "thfrt^lt *ls l>
;'Sure^to?be;jWellirecelvedl^ .*^i~,\ i ? j
...iiMrs. r i Faltbank'sji has; a^flne y gtf t;* of ;*
I dignifiedf,aff ability,^ and.* slie $ succe efls ;
* eaually.-.wlth fall^; kinds " of fpeople, i high >
JJand^ low..pShe, J s'aß •a * public 'character, \ '
-i has j perhaps fmade / more '.of ifaVstudy; of -'
t entertain ingfthanfanyj of {her^rivaTs?for>
*lnio7socialMu,tles[wlthjgreaterJpleasur9.>
t r-Mra. Fairbanks •Is I the 'mother /of tfiy et \
'\u25a0children,*' Mrs.! John"£W.\Timjnons,\War-t
\ rvxf C^riFredsrlck iC. ; rßichardtM. J and %'•
: Jlobert Fairbanks. :/ Air the many clalzas«<
ijpn« her S time r^haye - neTer. * bee'n^yper- * '
' .«!ttea:b7.thi*.W'9al wif« toiatmrt—
with her .all; Important Cuttum ot xaoti
r «r hood , and \u25a0th 9 - family U'» credit . to
herself land • the senior seaato* freta
Indians.. , . . , ...
' " : The "'\u25a0; high V Intellectcal f <n«b*ad ot „
Mrs. William' Jennings Bryan. Trho hstsi.
: twice - fiad -\u25a0 to '* console h«r - fcuabeatl
" through ' tho ' disappointment . of : Cnftat, ,
? does ' not r bell» . tho makgniseest brala
S power | of ' the wire ,- of the Nsbraskaa,
•who- before th« . age- of 40 . had rwta»
I been ; the. candidate' of Xh* second lary- '
; eat political party in, £h« cotratry.
,-'-, . Mrs. t Bryan : : Is j loved la LAnoola. tt*
charm of « her • personaltty '• acting as s>' ,
; -She' ts •\u25a0talV dlgnlfled, *ad|
,* her \u25a0 ' carriage i combines . Clsalty yitOk '
- sweetest ; femininity. • " •' '-
v Mrs. Bryan \u25a0 has \u25a0\u25a0 the - fjtft ot bstetj
:1 sociable, s yet • she * can 'hardly b* eallea
a -society -woman,-, for. she has nmr
J figured largely \u25a0\u25a0 In • the artlnelal Uf • of
•; set-. f0rm5. ,. .; She "Is ;*» :* home maker •
I first, j and | next Ito that the eonsnminx
\u25a0^ Interest' of jher.' life* ls 'dsrotloa to th«
' career^ of -her' husband. "
\u25a0' Her breadth of mind aafl ea&a pMfo-.
I sophl ca 1 1 i nature & mako T her an admir
able balance -wheel , for ens of the .
foremost ,of 'Americans. \
„• : ;Of jthe^candidates .lately -mentioned.
Governor Hushes of Xew York Is ad
'\u25a0-.mittedly 'gaining ; strength. His fin«
'..honesty,*; complete, independence from
'gang . domination, 'the ability h» dis
played In th«.. Insurance scandals, and
the" fact 'that' ho -has : shown that ha
i'c'an. \u25a0 carry HNe-w^Tork. r one of the
\u25a0f pivotaH states \of the ; union. - all mako
Hughes »very . redoubtable can
.didate. and It- may yet ba that he will
the -.running.' . ..
vMf^' Hughes -Is -Retirmg
i. ; Tho^ woman 'with 'whom his lnter
\u25a0 a "eßts ". are 1 - ldehtifle'd ;' never talka spte~
< "ttcs,-/and-- while her ability and intellt- »
i ?ge'nce .'"are •admitted,^ has. never figured
";ln tha llmeliKht as -her- husband's ad
i J viser.\ ; Shev is -'tall 'andt- slender, -with
"regulars features, l jwavy-. brown hair
.i 1 and -. expressive »,brown^, «y*s. v , Her man- .
though dlarnifisd. \u25a0 U rivacious and
:> full fof i a ', gracious '.charm.
.»?.-^The-; Hukheses "hare'Sthr^e .children,
,*;" Charles -»E.;' Jr., Catherine and Helen.
;>* i' Mrs.' Hughes ;b-a daughter ; of ."Wal
;Her^S.-^ Carter, the : sen!«r member "of
.**the?law' firm" of ;which : h«r husband 'Is
:2a'* partner.' -While i a member \u25a0ot -two
-.patriotic <• organizations . and - a ( college
i w society.;-- Mrs.; Hughes is not; what
i a could ?be \u25a0 called * a club woman. During
n her » married ; life . she , has j?r.ef erred to
! ; remain': In "; the background ,and let the
i « limelight 'of : glory fall on,,- her hus
.'•band/ " *l~ .r \u25a0 . ':: \u25a0-\u25a0- '\u0084
*' ; Mrs.*" Judge \u25a0- Gray, iwif e of • - th« WU
-mlngton,-- Del..- "'Jurist, who. If he
Chaired ." from' rany .! other \ state, would
"be a. r formidable ; candidate, 2 measures
> well to the ' standard \u25a0 of ,' her; rival* Jost
.>*desortfeed.'" : v : .-'\u25a0 : » - : . ' , ~
'•?-» Sursly, -no matter .who wins th« rmo«.
\ the'eountry caniot but b» sate with any
>of these | fine 'American \u25a0 xraatn. as ad
'chief execnttve, \u25a0. •